The invention relates to a hinge comprising a hinge arm hingeably connected to a hinge casing, said hinge casing being tiltable with respect to said hinge arm between and open and a closed position.
It is known to provide pieces of furniture with damping devices to prevent banging of the doors or drawers when they are closed.
The DE 2539954 shows a hinge having an elastically deformable damping element. The damping action of such a damping element is not very significant.
Lately pieces of furniture are provided with fluid dampers. Beside linear dampers in the form of pneumatic or hydraulic dampers, rotary dampers are also in use.
These rotary dampers generally are provided with a housing in which a rotor is mounted. A damping fluid for example silicon oil is provided within the housing. By means of the damping fluid a very good damping effect is achieved when a door or a drawer are moved with too much force.
According to the prior art these damping devices are provided either in the form of a separate damper, on a piece of furniture or they are integral with a hinge.
It is the object of the invention to provide an improved hinge which can be selectively provided with a fluid damping device. It is a further object of the invention that the damping device can be easily mounted on a hinge ready for use.
According to the invention this object is achieved by providing a fluid damper having a housing and an actuating member moveably mounted in that housing said housing being mounted on a side of said hinge arm said actuating member abutting said hinge casing when the latter is in its closed position.
An embodiment of the invention provides that the hinge arm has U-shaped configuration with a middle web and two side webs said housing being mounted on the middle web.
The housing is preferably held on the hinge arm by means of a protrusion protruding into a hole in the middle web of said hinge arm. The protrusion can be either in the form of a hook or in the form of an elastically deformable peg which is squeezed into the hole in the middle web of the hinge arm.
The actuating member is in the form of a slide linearly moveable within said housing. A piece of furniture according to the invention is provided with a fluid damper having a housing and an actuating member moveably mounted in said housing, said housing being mounted on a side of said hinge arm; said actuating member abutting the door when the door is in its closed position.